Is 2025 The Final Year for Rams' Matthew Stafford?

The Los Angeles Rams have some important decisions to make while their quarterback answers that question for himself

Jun 3, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams as a team are pushing towards the 2025 NFL season. However, there's one question still lingering in the media that has affected the Rams' front office approach to the 2026 offseason.

When mentioning every team's quarterback situation, ESPN's Dan Graziano asked a straight forward question regarding Los Angeles' QB1

"Is this definitely the final year for Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles?"

"Remember when the offseason started with questions about whether Stafford was going to be traded to the Giants? Fun times," wrote Graziano. "He wasn't dealt, of course. He stayed with the Rams on a new contract that'll pay him $40 million this year and then allow him and/or the team to go their separate ways next offseason. Rinse, repeat."

"Stafford will turn 38 in February, and if he decided to retire, it'd be hard to blame him. But to try to predict what will happen feels foolish in a situation where the player and the team seem to have agreed to take it year-by-year. If the Rams had a clear-cut replacement on the roster, that might be a clue, but they don't. Having two first-round picks in next year's draft gives them the ability to find said replacement if they so choose. It's hard to really answer the question of whether Stafford has one year or more than one year left, and there's certainly no reason to say anything is definite."

Here's the reality. While there is an out on Stafford's contract after this season, neither side is going to exercise it unless Stafford is horrible or somehow ends up hating Sean McVay over the next nine months.

The Rams love Stafford, Stafford loves the Rams. Stafford doesn't want to play anywhere else and honestly, the only way he doesn't return is listed above, both of which are extremely unlikely scenarios, or Stafford retires.

My professional opinion is that Stafford's retirement would be based on how his body is feeling or if the Rams win the Super Bowl. It also feels like 2026 is set up to be his final season, not 2025. There's too much good stuff happening, especially with the weapons the Rams are surrounding Stafford with, for him to bow out after this season.

Also with Stafford's contract, the Rams set up void years to put millions in cap hits from 2027-2029, years set up for the Rams to have a rookie quarterback under contract.

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